Often the key to winning the Stanley Cup comes down to figuring out how to win games that you probably should lose.

The defending champion Washington Capitals reminded everyone how much they know about that subject when they withstood a Carolina Hurricanes’ third period rally to win 4-2 in Game 1 of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal.

The Capitals were not at their best. They were out-shot 29-18. They seemed to lose their drive after building a 3-0 lead. T.J. Oshie took a bad penalty late in the third period while the Capitals were scrambling to hold a one-goal lead.

The ‘Canes, with goalie Petr Mrazek making big third period saves, could have, maybe should have, won this game.

But when the game was on the line, the Capitals found a way to survive. When the ‘Canes cut their lead to a goal, the Capitals dug in. That’s what champions do.

Nicklas Backstrom scored twice for the Capitals, but his two blocked shots late in the third period were equally important. Nic Dowd’s ability to clear a puck out of the Washington zone as he was falling to the ice was also crucial. Lars Eller preserved the win with a 145-foot empty-netter.

But they couldn’t hold off the charging Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets cut the Lightning lead one goal and then tied it on a shorthanded goal by Josh Anderson and won it on Seth Jones’ power play goal.

The Lightning couldn’t stop the bleeding. The Capitals could.

We can guess that captain Ovechkin's message to the Capitals was that they have to play much better if they want to repeat.

But this was an important win. Make no mistake about

Based on how gritty the Capitals were when the game was on the line, it seemed as if part of their Game 1 mission was to remind everyone that they are the defending Stanley Cup champion and still boast the same swagger and passion they displayed last spring.

The enthusiasm Alex Ovechkin showed after scoring Washington’s third goal said the Capitals want us all to know that they intend is to pick up where they left off last June.

Based on a record-tying 62-win regular season, the Lightning were considered the Stanley Cup favorite heading into the playoffs. But their top players failed to step up in their first playoff game and the result was a loss that no one saw coming.

Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, all of whom scored 40 or more goals in the regular season, registered no points in the Lightning’s loss.

Contrast that to Washington’s first game when the Capitals’ first line of Ovechkin, Backstrom and Tom Wilson did the heavy offensive lifting in the victory. Backstrom scored twice and No. 1 Washington defenseman John Carlson registered three assists.

The Capitals were able to thwart a Carolina power play in the closing moments. It ended up a 6-on-4 when Carolina pulled a goalie. The night before the Lightning couldn't find a way to prevent the tying and winning goals against Columbus.

It sure looked as though the Capitals were trying to tell us we made a mistake when we listed the Lightning as the Cup favorite.

Second round: San Jose Sharks forward Joonas Donskoi celebrates with defensemen Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic after scoring a goal in the second period in Game 7 against the Colorado Avalanche. Stan Szeto, USA TODAY Sports

Second round: Patrick Maroon, a St. Louis native, is mobbed by his teammates after he lifted the Blues to a double-overtime victory in Game 7 of their series against the Dallas Stars. Jeff Curry, USA TODAY Sports

Second round: Blue Jackets right wing Josh Anderson, left, chats with Charlie McAvoy after Game 6. The Bruins defenseman had knocked Anderson temporarily out of the game with a hit to the head. Aaron Doster, USA TODAY Sports

Second round: Stars goalie Ben Bishop lies on the ice after being injured. The Blues maintained possession of the puck and Jaden Schwartz scored on a deflection while Bishop was down. Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports

Second round: St. Louis Blues LW Jaden Schwartz (17) celebrates a first-period goal against the Stars during Game 3 in Dallas. The Blues edged the Stars 4-3 to take a 2-1 series lead. Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports

Second round: Carolina backup goalie Curtis McElhinney lays out to make a save against New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) during the third period as the Hurricanes rallied for a 2-1 and a 2-0 serioes lead. Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports

Second round: Hurricanes goalie Petr Mrazek is knocked over by Islanders forward Anders Lee during the second period of Game 1, wiping out a goal. The Hurricanes won 1-0 in overtime. Catalina Fragoso, USA TODAY Sports

First round: The Carolina Hurricanes' Brock McGinn (23) scores the game-winning goal against the Washington Capitals in the second overtime of Game 7 at Capital One Arena. Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports

First round: Capitals star Alex Ovechkin celebrates his first-period goal against the Hurricanes. But his third-period tying goal was waved off, and Carolina won 5-2 in Game 6. James Guillory, USA TODAY Sports

First round: Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand (63) celebrates with forward Marcus Johansson (90) after scoring a goal in the first period of Game 6 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Dan Hamilton, USA TODAY Sports

First round: St. Louis Blues left wing Jaden Schwartz (17) is congratulated by teammates after scoring his second of three goals in Game 6 to eliminate the Winnepeg Jets from the playoffs. Jeff Curry, USA TODAY Sports

First round: Stars defenseman John Klingberg (3) jumps on Predators defenseman Dan Hamhuis (5) after a hit on Stars center Mats Zuccarello (36) during the second period of Game 5 in Nashville. The Stars won 5-3 to take a 3-2 series lead. Christopher Hanewinckel, USA TODA

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First round: Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone celebrates with the crowd after being named first star in the Game 3 win vs. the San Jose Sharks. Stone recorded a hat trick and added two assists in the victory. Stephen R. Sylvanie, USA TODAY Sports

First round: Toronto Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri is looked over by a trainer after he was hit knee-on-knee by Boston's Jake DeBrusk. Kadri was later ejected for cross-checking DeBrusk in the face and faces an in-person hearing with the league. Bob DeChiara, USA TODAY Sports

First round: Colorado Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer makes a save against Calgary Flames center Sam Bennett (93) during the second period in Game 1 at Scotiabank Saddledome. The Flames won the game, 4-0. Sergei Belski, USA TODAY Sports

First round: Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom (center) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Carolina Hurricanes in the first period in Game 1 at Capital One Arena. The Capitals won, 4-2. Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports

First round: Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitchell Marner scores a goal against the Boston Bruins during the first period in Game 1 at TD Garden. The Maple Leafs won the game, 4-1. Bob DeChiara, USA TODAY Sports